Automobile-license fastener



R. SHAW.l

'AUTOMOBILE LICENSE FASTE'NEB. APPLlcATl'oN man AFR. 14. |920.

1,398,401, Patented Nov. 29,1921.

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STATES Parent aerien.

RYLAND B. SHAW, or nacieron, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMOBILE-LICENSE rAsTENnR,

To all @07207711 #may concern Be it known that l, RYLAND B. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile-License Fasteners. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for fastening in position signs or display members and is particuli-LidyT intended for the support of license tags upon vehicles.

The object of this invention is the provision off a fastener which may be readily secured to the license tag and `quickly fastened to any selected part of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fastening device which `maybe secured to the license tag before either the tag or the fastening member are laced upon the vehicle, which is readily a justable so that the same may clamp any convenient part of the vehicle, and which is simple in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects of the invention will become obvious from a reading of the following description and appended claims, wherein the invention is set forth more in detail.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein one embodiment of my invention with minor modifications is shown:

Figure l is a front elevational view of the same having secured thereto an automobile license tag,

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the clamping bars,

Fig. 4f` is a front elevational view of the bar shown in Fig. 3, f

Figs. 5 and 6 are side and front elevational views of the complementary clamping bar, Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of the clamping bar shown in Fig. 8, and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a different arrangement of the clamping bolt with relation to the clamping bars.

Referring to the drawings more in detail l() indicates a clamping bar adapted to be secured to the rear face of a license tag L by any suitable means, such as the screws 11 passing through the license tag and into openings 13 in the clamping bar. It will be understood that any means may be used to secure the tag or display member to the clamping bar but since automobile license tags are generally issued with screw holes Y Specification of Letters Patent. Patenti-Ed Nov, 29, 1921. Application led April' 14, 1920. I Serial No. 373,762.

formed therein, the form of fastening means shown is readily adapted for use in this connection. Obviously the clamping bar may be made of any desirable size and the openings for the screws may be formed thereink at any point along its length. The clamp-v ing bar is shown in F ig. 1` as secured `to the rear face of the license plate at approximately its center, although, of course, it may be secured in any other position5 and has formed thereonand extending at an angle thereto a lug 12 formed with a plurality oitl notches 14 located at differently spaced points fromy the clamping bar. rllhese y notches may be in the form shownin Figs.

2 and 3 or ymay be modified as shown in Fig;

7, so as to be in stepped relation as indicated at 14.

So as tocoperate with the clamping bar 10 there is provided a complementary clamping bar 15 having an elongated central slot 16 therein and adapted to be supported in any selected one of the notches formed in the lug 12. It will be observed that the notches 14 'are made of greater width than the thickness of' the clamping bars 15'at their point of suspension so as to permit the clamping bars 15' to pivotally swing at their point of support and to be drawn to clamping relation with the clamping bar 10.

In order to draw together these two bars any suitable means maybe employed, but in the embodiment of my invention disclosed there is shown a clamping bolt 17 passing through each of the clamping bars, and in Fig. 2 having its shank passing through the license plate. Upon the shank of the bolt is threaded a wing nut l18 `which may be adjusted so as to clamp between the clamping bars any fixed part oi" the vehicle. In Fig. 2 it will beobserved that the head 17 of the bolt is located `at the rear of the clamping bar 15 and its shank passes through the centralL slot 17 of the rear clamping bar I and through an opening 20 in the clamping `adaptability lance when attached to the vehicle.

tag is not marred by the location of the bolt shank and wing nut upon the Jface ot the tag. Y y y The meeting faces Vof the. clamping bars may be provided with grooves 21 so as to permit the rigid clamping oi' a member which may be fixed to a vehicle and have a curved surface, as the bar 22, although itis to be understood that other members may be clamped between the barsfat any point below or above the location ot' the clamping bolt. Y c

In Fig. 2 the clamping bar l5 is shown as positioned in the central notch la, although,` Vobviously tlie'bar may be positioned in any hiele, and due tothe 'fact that practically all license tags are formed with openings for thereception of such fastening members as the screws l1, the fastening member may be attached to any license tag merely vby the suitablelocation of the screw receiving openings in the clamping bar l0. Moreover, when the arrangement shown in Fig. S is resorted to, itis unnecessary to pertorate the license tag in any manner whatsoever.

Although in the accompanying draiifiiigs and in this description a particular embodi ment or embodiments otfmy'invention have beenidescribed in detail, it is clear that the same'isnot restricted to the particular construction set "forth and that the salient points ot' the invention might be embodied in many modiiied forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is: y l. In a device of the class described, a clamping bar,means for securing a display member to said bar, a second complementary clamping bar7 a lug on and extending at an angle "from said iirst mentioned clamping bar and having a plurality of spaced notches thereim said second mentioned clamping bar being adapted to be supported in any selected notch'of said lug so as to vary the amplitude of the clamping movement of said bar and means for drawing together said bars to clamp a support.

2. In a device of the class described, a

clamping bar, means for securing a display vmember to said bar, a second complementary clamping bar, a lug on and extending atl an angle 'from Ysaid iirst mentioned clamping bar and having a plurality oi spaced notches therein, said second 'mentioned clamping bar being adapted to be pivotally supported at one end in any selected'notch of said lug so asfto vary the amplitude of the clamping movement ot said Vbar and Vmeans for drawingitogether said bars tol clamp a support.

3. In a device of the rclass described, a clamping bar, means for securing a display member to said bar, a second complementary clamping bai, a lug on and extending atap- Varoxiniately a right angle from said first mentioned clampingV bar-land having a pluV ralityoi `notches at variably' spacedV distances from vsaid clamping bar, said second bar being adapted to be pivotally lsupported in any selectediiotch of said lug so as to vary theamplitude of 'the clamping movement of said bar7 and a. clamping bolt con# nectiiig said clamping baij's'and having a nut thereon adapted to draw together said bars to clamp a support. i 1

t. In a device of the class described1v a clamping baradaptedto be secured to the rear'face of a display member and to extend across the tace ofthe same, a lug on saidbar extending at a right angle to the same rearwardly -i'rom said displayinember, said lugV having a plurality ot notches atv variably spaced distances-.trom said clamping bau-a second clamping bar adapted to be pivot-ally supported in any selected iiotchon said lug` so as to vary the amplitude of the-'clamping movement of the Vsecond 'mentioned clamping bar, and means adjustably connecting said clamping-*bars located to one'side ofthe pivotalsupport of said second mentioned bar and adapted to draw together said-clamping bars to clamp a support. Y I

ln testimonyfwhereof l have hereunto set my hand.

i `RYIVLAN'DY BSHWe' 

